5 December 1999
Bangkok residents welcome SkyTrain, passengers struggle with unfamiliar systems
The country’s first elevated rail system went into service after a last-minute rush at stations to put final touches to platforms and service areas. However, problems emerged almost immediately at stations along the new SkyTrain routes.
Many ticket machines failed to operate properly and out-of-order signs began sprouting up. Queues were long, forcing some passengers to wait for up to an hour as they had to buy tickets issued manually by SkyTrain staff. The crowds were worst at the stations of Mo Chit, the main depot, and Siam Square, which linked the system’s two lines.
‘Some people failed to read the instructions on our ticket machines,’ said Sivaporn Pokpong, BTS marketing manager. ‘People must press a button to select their destination first, and then insert coins. But some inserted the coins first and that stopped the machines, and the passengers simply lost their money.’ Someone managed to insert 40 one-baht coins in a machine, she said.
The SkyTrain opened with two lines, the Sukhumvit line, which crosses the city from north to south, from Mo Chit to On Nut, and the Silom line, which goes through the city centre. The network, with 23.5km of track, was built at a cost of around 60 billion baht.
5 December 1999
Bangkok residents welcome SkyTrain, passengers struggle with unfamiliar systems
The country’s first elevated rail system went into service after a last-minute rush at stations to put final touches to platforms and service areas. However, problems emerged almost immediately at stations along the new SkyTrain routes.
Many ticket machines failed to operate properly and out-of-order signs began sprouting up. Queues were long, forcing some passengers to wait for up to an hour as they had to buy tickets issued manually by SkyTrain staff. The crowds were worst at the stations of Mo Chit, the main depot, and Siam Square, which linked the system’s two lines.
‘Some people failed to read the instructions on our ticket machines,’ said Sivaporn Pokpong, BTS marketing manager. ‘People must press a button to select their destination first, and then insert coins. But some inserted the coins first and that stopped the machines, and the passengers simply lost their money.’ Someone managed to insert 40 one-baht coins in a machine, she said.
The SkyTrain opened with two lines, the Sukhumvit line, which crosses the city from north to south, from Mo Chit to On Nut, and the Silom line, which goes through the city centre. The network, with 23.5km of track, was built at a cost of around 60 billion baht.